Modern warships use guided missiles as their principal offensive and defensive weapons. Since a naval engagement may be protracted, a warship must have many missiles available for immediate launch. This need has been addressed by multiple-missile launchers, in which plural launch cells (e.g., eight cells, etc.) are loaded with missiles that can be individually launched. The need to launch missiles of different mission type from a single launcher has been met in part by vertical launching systems (“VLS”). A VLS launches missiles or other equipment with a vertical trajectory. A VLS is exemplified by the below-deck MK 41 VLS and MK 57 VLS missile launchers. These VLSs accept canisterized (or canistered) missiles of several types. The canisters are loaded into corresponding canister holding chambers or cells in the VLS. It should be noted that some VLS platforms have only one cell, while others have multiple cells.
A major roadblock to providing new munitions capability to naval fleets is the extremely high cost of modifications to the launching system. Integration of a new munition into an existing launching system typically requires the design and qualification of a new canister for the munition.
One solution that is beneficial to reducing the cost of integrating new munitions in existing main battery launchers is the “Adaptable Launch System” (hereinafter “ALS”). The ALS is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/274,409, filed on Nov. 20, 2008, which published as U.S. Patent Application Publication no. 2009/0126556 A1, titled “Adaptable Launching System,” and which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. The ALS can be used as a “guest” launcher in one or more cells of a multi-cell “host” vertical launching system, such as the MK 41 VLS or MK 57 VLS main battery launchers. The ALS can accommodate a single munition or a “multi-pack” of smaller munitions in its single launch cell. Thus, the ALS enables a larger variety of munitions to be launched from a VLS.
However the advantages of the ALS do not address the particular needs of certain kinds of munitions.